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Thief steals 4 flags from a church then reads names on them and deeply regrets it
The thief's conscience didn't let them keep the flags – they had to return them and ask for forgiveness.
Irene Markianou
08.13.20

Celebrations for the 4th of July include various things and vary from place to place and from neighborhood to neighborhood, with shows, games, parades, and bonfires being just some of them.

Unsplash/ Jim Strasma
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Unsplash/ Jim Strasma

First Baptist Church in Grand Bay, Alabama, had put up American flags with the names of fallen heroes attached to them, and was looking forward to the big day and the celebrations. But someone had different plans for the flags.

Someone, who still remains unknown, stole four of the flags and the next day church members were shocked to find out there were several flags missing.

In fact, as they explained to a local news outlet, they were ready to call and have the missing flags replaced. Those flags were nothing short of special. Each of them features the name of a military veteran on a red, white or blue ribbon.

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YouTube Screenshot

So, just when they were ready to ask for a replacement, some church members found the missing flags.

Melba Schafer, a church member, explained that the flags were found propped on a tree beside the church and they were put back up by two church members.

“My husband and another one of the church members put the flags back up where they belong,” she said.

But they soon realized the flags were accompanied by a letter of apology written by the thief who had regretted his action.

YouTube Screenshot
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YouTube Screenshot

“The note was very sincere. You can tell whoever took them was very, very upset with themselves,” Pastor Royce Dubose said.

According to the Pastor, the fact that the thief returned the flags in perfect shape is proof that God works in mysterious ways.

Apparently, the person who stole the four flags had been drinking that night and wasn’t thinking clearly. In his letter, he explained that he had no idea the flags had names attached to them and that he just wanted to take some home because he feared they would soon stop making any more of them.

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Facebook

“I did not mean any disrespect though I know it was wrong,” part of his letter read. “I was drinking and had a bad idea,” he went on. “I had no idea that there were names of fallen heroes [attached to the flags] which makes it even worse,” and he concludes: “Please forgive me. Sincerely, I’m sorry”.

The church members were happy to get the flags back, and when the Pastor was asked if they know who the culprit is, he said they don’t and they don’t want to know either- not because they are angry, but because they don’t want to make the person feel even worse than they are already feeling.

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Facebook

“To be honest, we don’t want to know. And not because we are angry at them, but because we don’t want to embarrass them to feel anymore remorse than they are already feeling,” Dubose told the reporters.

On top of that, the church posted an open invitation on Facebook, through which they are inviting the person who stole and returned the flags to visit them “anytime”.

“We would like to let whoever it was […] know that your apology is accepted and you are invited to attend out church services anytime,” they wrote.

Facebook Screenshot
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Facebook Screenshot

It is really inspiring to see how a person acknowledged their mistake and tried to make up for it, while it is also relieving that these people don’t hold any grudge for them- on the contrary, they accepted their apology and made it clear they are welcome to join them.

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